Finstall and Cofton Hackett WI

Val welcomed members to the March meeting and we wished Deana and Pat Wilkes happy birthday after singing Jerusalem. Val gave details of our trip with Brian Draper to the Upper Thames Valley on April 20 and asked those interested to put their names on the list. Pat Peach will host the garden party in June and Jackie will host the coffee morning in August. Val reminded us that our next meeting will be the birthday party and members need to provide the usual food.

Five members are invited to the Spring Group Meeting on April 14 at Burcot Village Hall. Val introduced the speaker, one of our own members, Nova, who gave us a presentation on her visit to Poland in 2013. She started at Krakow, a medieval city on the river Vistula where Pope John Paul and Helena Rubenstein were born. It is a city of churches of many different denominations, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Non Conformist and Jewish. When the Germans invaded Poland in WW2, the Jewish Quarter became a gated ghetto before the Jews were transported to Auschwitz which she told us has been preserved to ensure people do not forget what went on there.

Nova vividly described the horror of the concentration camp and the atrocities that took place during that terrible period. She then told us about her visit to the salt mines at Wieliczka where salt was mined from the 13th century to the1980's. It is a magical underground city carved into the rock salt of conference halls with salt chandeliers, churches, statues, and is even used as a wedding venue. Tourists have to descend over 800 steps to reach the chambers but there is a lift to take you back up. Jessica thanked Nova for a thought provoking talk. The competition, something connected with Poland, was won by Sue who was also second with Jessica third and the raffle was won by Val. We meet on the first Monday in the month at Finstall Village Hall at 2 pm and new members are warmly welcomed.